The growth plate is a layer of cartilage near the end of a bone where most of the bone's growth happens. Your child had an injury to the growth plate area. Right now, it’s not clear whether your child has a growth plate fracture (break), a sprain (injury to the ligaments, which hold bones together), or a strain (injury to the tendons, which connect muscles to bones).

The health care provider put a boot or splint (supports held in place with straps or an elastic bandage) on the injured area to protect and support it. An orthopedic (bone) specialist will recheck your child, usually in about a week, to see if any other treatments are needed. 

Follow your health care provider's recommendations for:

• Caring for the splint or boot
• Using crutches, if needed
• What activities to avoid (such as sports)
• When to follow up 

To help with pain and swelling:

• You can give medicine, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol^® or a store brand) or ibuprofen (Advil^®, Motrin^®, or a store brand). Follow the package directions for how much to give and how often.
• When your child is awake, put ice in a plastic bag wrapped in a towel on the area for 20 minutes a few times a day. Don't put ice directly on the skin.
• Prop up the injured area on pillows when your child is sitting down or sleeping. 

If your child has a boot:

• Use it as instructed.
• If it's OK with your health care provider, your child can remove the boot to sleep or to take a bath or shower.

If your child has a splint:

• Don't remove or change the position of the splint unless the health care provider said it's OK.
• If the area under the splint is itchy, tap lightly on the splint or use a hair dryer on the cool setting to blow air in and around the edges. Make sure your child doesn't pick at or scratch under the splint. Check for any scratches around the area of the splint.
• Make sure the splint isn't too tight. It shouldn't feel uncomfortable to your child. If the fingers or toes near the splint look puffy, raise the injured area above the level of the heart for 1 hour.
• Don't put anything into the splint. Make sure your child doesn't put toys, food, or anything else into it.
• Keep dirt, sand, lotion, and powder away from the splint.
• Keep the splint dry:
  • No swimming.
  • Younger children can get a sponge bath. For regular baths or showers, you can cover the splint in one of these ways:
    • Two plastic bags sealed at the top with a rubber band or tape
    • Plastic wrap covered with a plastic bag that is sealed at the top
    • A waterproof cast protector
  • If the splint gets splashed, blow air into it from a hair dryer on the cool setting.

• There are blisters, rashes, or raw spots on the skin near the splint.
• Your child's pain isn't helped by pain medicine, or the pain gets worse. 
• Your child has swelling that doesn’t get better after raising the area above the level of the heart for 1 hour.
• The splint or boot:
  • Is too loose or too tight
  • Gets wet, is damaged, or has a foul odor

• Your child has severe pain, numbness, or tingling in the injured area.
• The injured body part gets pale or turns blue.

How does a growth plate fracture happen? Growth plates are weaker than the rest of the bone and more prone to injury. Most commonly, a fracture happens when a growing child falls on or twists an arm or leg (for example, while running, skiing, or skateboarding). Growth plate fractures also can happen from doing the same activity over and over (for example, pitching a baseball or training for gymnastics).

How is a growth plate fracture diagnosed? Health care providers will order X-rays if they think a bone is broken. A mild growth plate fracture might not show up on an X-ray, though. So even when an X-ray is normal, if a growing child has pain near a growth plate, health care providers often will use a splint or brace, like a boot, to protect the area as it heals. 

Will my child need a cast? Maybe. Your child will wear the splint or boot until a follow-up visit with an orthopedic specialist. The specialist will recheck your child's injury and decide whether there is a fracture, sprain, or strain. The specialist will let you know if the injury needs a cast, or if the splint or boot is best.